DIY Hostess Gift

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'Tis the season to visit friends and family and the last thing you want to do is arrive empty handed.  A hostess gift is a thoughtful gesture that is easy to customize with a few simple tips.  Last week I was grocery shopping at Walmart and started to peruse the candle aisles when I found something I had never noticed before, American Home™ Yankee Candle® brand products.  I usually have to make a special trip to the mall to purchase my favorite candles so I was thoroughly overjoyed to find them while I was shopping - one less trip to make! If you can't find them at your local Walmart they are available online (woot!). 

There was a large selection but I honed my eyes (and my nose) on some autumn fragrances.  I purchased a large 19 ounce jar candle (only $10.93!) in Banana Walnut Bread and two smaller candles ($4.93 each) in Sweet & Salty Caramel (absolutely yummy) and Shades of Fall (heavenly).  The Banana Walnut Bread fragrance was the inspiration for my hostess gift.  

Now for 5 nitty gritty and totally memorable tips for putting together a DIY Hostess Gift

1. Choose your container.  The container can be as expensive or inexpensive as you like.  I prefer to use something that the recipient will be able to use once they empty the contents.  A basket is always a great choice.  For this hostess gift I chose a reproduction dough bowl.  Less expensive than a true antique dough bowl but every bit as lovely.  2.  Filler.  I keep fillers when I receive them to recycle but you can also purchase new.  If you don't want to use a filler you can line your container with napkins, a pretty flour sack towel, fabric, burlap or something else that strikes your fancy.3.  Now you're ready to start filling and layering your basket.  Candles are always a wise choice for a hostess gift.   The stars of this basket are the American Home™ by Yankee Candle® brand candles. Instead of just placing the largest atop the filler I decided to wrap it in a satin bow - the addition of the bow gives it a nice luxurious touch. 4.  Add something homemade - a baked good or craft.  Since the American Home™ by Yankee Candle® brand jar candle in Banana Walnut Bread was my inspiration I baked a fresh loaf of banana bread using one of my favorite recipes.  Once the banana bread cooled down I wrapped it in parchment paper (this is awesome for wrapping baked goods - it doesn't stick and keeps them fresh while in transit).  I added a satin ribbon to this as well to complete the look and add a feeling of continuity to an otherwise nondescript wrap.  5.  Next, I stuffed some small seasonal items into the basket.  I purchased mini pumpkins over a month ago and they are still fresh and lovely so these along with some plastic antlers were added as a final touch to my DIY Hostess Gift.